Life

On the Course and in the Hospital, There's No Going it Alone

A rare infection put Kevin Murphy's life in danger. He responded by grabbing life by the neck and racing the heck out of it.

Setting a goal of completing an IRONMAN race in 2017, now 31-year-old Kevin Humphrey returned from a dream road trip to Montana with his then fiancé Carlie in early January, 2017. Post-travel sickness is common, so the pair didn't think too much of it when they both developed flu-like symptoms upon returning to their home in Chicago. Carlie recovered after a few days but Kevin, a Director of Sales in the medical field, did not.

Two weeks in, multiple doctor visits and rounds of antibiotics and steroids not helping, Carlie insisted they head to the hospital. Kevin was admitted immediately with bacterial pneumonia. His liver enzyme levels were not normal, which also caused concern. Despite tests and treatments, Kevin's condition continued to deteriorate. "He went from walking into the hospital to bed ridden, oxygen dependent and with early signs of ARDS (mortality rate of 50 percent)," said Carlie. His resting heart rate was 130 and his fevers were often in the 104 degree range. A particularly astute medical student, who Carlie says later became their champion, sent testing to specialized labs in hopes to pinpoint the terrible infection in Kevin's lung. Two weeks later, one of the tests yielded the answer: a severe fungal infection best treated by a controversial drug called Amphotericin B.

"Life is precious and fragile, fill it with people and things you love most!"

Administered by infusion, most patients have severe reactions especially within the first few hours of the treatment. Kevin's years getting up at 4:45 a.m. to get in long rides and runs proved to be the factor that helped him tolerate the infusion and push through a host of awful side effects. When he was discharged, he was told that due to the severe infection he would likely not be able to run for a year.

"Kevin worked really hard to gain his strength back. He did not stop moving the second he was able to walk again," Carlie recalls. But during his recovery, he set a goal to complete an IRONMAN. Just six months after being admitted to the hospital, Kevin finished IRONMAN 70.3 Wisconsin in 6:15:51. "His pulmonology and infectious disease doctors couldn’t believe how far he had come," said Carlie. "Multiple physicians have told us they use his case in lectures."

Through the ordeal, Carlie and Kevin learned numerous life lessons that they've found themselves applying to triathlon and beyond. "Our bodies work really hard for us every day, so take care of them," said Carlie. "If you feel like that something isn’t right, don’t ignore it. If we would have continued treating this as a bacterial pneumonia at home for much longer the outcome may not have been as good."

It also takes a village: not only to help when receiving a medical diagnosis but to help someone achieve one of their life goals. "Regardless if it's people high-fiving you in the IRONMAN transition area or holding your hand while they inject medication into your body, going through life with people behind you means you never have to do those things alone," she adds. "Life is precious and fragile, fill it with people and things you love most!"

"Kevin is not a man of quantity but quality," said Carlie. "When he puts his heart into something, he puts 110 percent of it in."

In sharing his story, Carlie hopes others can find hope when life throws wrenches in the way. "Kevin is not one to talk about what he has been through and what he has accomplished. This is not just about him, but about everyone who stands behind him, loves him, cheers him on, and cares for him so he can reach goals that seem impossible."